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A man was down. So he sprang to action.

The following was written by Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health.

This story resonates with me on several fronts, because it truly demonstrates what our mission, vision and values are all about. We should all stand ready to be called upon in our jobs at any given moment.

As a Novant Health public safety officer, Anthony Asamoah sets a high standard for himself during every single shift: To help the most people who need help the most.

That kind of thinking makes for few boundaries on his beat. His job is to keep visitors and employees safe during the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. stretch at Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center.

So one night, after a person approached him to report seeing a man face down in the gutter, Anthony jumped into action.

What happened next is a prime example of a team member bringing to life our vision to deliver the most remarkable patient experience in every dimension, every time.

On this night, delivering a high-quality experience meant meeting the patient where he was — on the ground, in an area between the Ambulatory Surgery Center and Medical Office 2 building on the Prince William Medical Center campus.

Anthony called out to the man and asked if he needed help. No response.

He got down on his knees, rolled the man on his back, and pulled him a short distance to a level area in the parking lot. He checked the man’s neck for a pulse and for signs of breathing. Still nothing.

After calling in the scene on the radio and contacting 911, Anthony started CPR. A few cycles later, the person started coughing blood from his nose and mouth.

By this time, Manassas police and other support arrived. They helped turn the man on his side to help him breathe. Emergency responders lifted the man on a stretcher to get him inside the medical center, where clinicians tended to him.

During his 14 years at Novant Health, Anthony has completed a lot of training for moments like this. He relies on that preparation when faced with the unexpected. “I’m glad to be a part of the team that is always helping people,” Anthony said.

As we all know, patients and members of the public judge us simply by the way we interact with them. Sometimes this interaction is planned, like when a patient follows up on a scheduled doctor’s visit. But many times this contact may happen when we least expect it. We must all be ready for this, no matter where our patients are, and no matter what you do — whether you work in a support role or a clinical one, in the back office or at the bedside.

Thank you, Anthony, for demonstrating our values of personal excellence and compassion, and for embodying the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Our people credo calls on us to treat each other, our patients and our communities with respect and compassion. I’m so proud of the fact that when our team members see someone in need, they’ll do whatever it takes to deliver remarkable care.